Tripping on Power

Tripping on Power

Image 1:Harness the Power of the Internet

The internet represents a tangled web of social networks each with their own unique sets of rules, conventions and complex power dynamics. Renowned social scientist Sherry Turkle, best described it as an “immaterial world of networks [which] create new space for power, irrespective of traditional forms of ownership” (Turkle, 1995).

 To better understand this concept, I have chosen the social network of Reddit to blog about for the coming weeks. Reddit is founded upon user-submitted content and allows for discussion in threads which are posted to the appropriate subreddit.

By considering Tuan’s concept of space being defined as freedom and place as security, it's fascinating how these definitions apply to Reddit (Tuan, 1977). I found the anonymity of Reddit to be liberating and empowering. Here you have the power to present the best version of yourself and the ability freely express your opinion amongst like-minded individuals. In the words of McNeil it “privilege’s the viewpoint of the private citizen” (Mcneil, 2009).  Furthermore, the introduction of subreddit’s allows the development of communities and security within these tight-knit groups. This binary space transforms into an intangible place where you can share your most private experience or thoughts with no fear of repercussions (Kuttainen, 2016).

Yet this power trip faltered when I breached the unspoken "Reddiquette" of the site, I was shunned for offering an opinion that contradicted the mainstream view. From my experience, I would conclude that the most powerful Redditors are those who revel in this hive-mind mentality. Whilst this can lead to a conformity and censorship of opinions, other times Reddit can surprise even the outside world with it ability to work together for the common good. In this regard, the manner in which power is distributed is most akin to Allen J's definition of “associational power” whereby “power act more like a collective medium enabling thing to get done or facilitate some common aim” (Allen, 2003). 

References

Y2KV1. (29 April 2015). Harness the Power of the Internet [Image]. Retrieved from https://kwongcom125.wordpress.com/author/y2kv1/

Allen, J. (2003). Lost Geographies of Power. United Kingdom: Blackwell Publishers Ltd.

Kuttainen, V. (2016). BA1002: Our Space, Networks, Narratives, and the Making of Place Lecture 3: Space and Identity: Genre and Transformation

Mcneil, L. (2009). Diary 20?. In Weiss, E. .L & Rowe, C (Eds), Language and New Media (pp. 313-325). New Jersey: Hampton Press.

Tuan, Y. (1977). Space and Place. England: Edward Arnold.

Turkle, S. (1995). Life on the Screen. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks.